How do you play Dungeon Delve?
It is a turn based roguelike: you walk through a randomly generated dungeon one tile at a time, every monster moves one step for each of yours, and walking into a monster attacks it. Find the stairs on each floor to go down, and defeat the dragon waiting on floor 10 to finish the run.
You start with a single potion. Pick up the gold, potions, bread, torches, weapons and armor lying on the floor, and gain levels by defeating monsters. When your HP hits zero the run ends and only the score remains: 100 points per floor reached, 10 per monster defeated, 1 per gold coin, and a 1,000 point bonus for slaying the dragon.
Why can't I see the whole map?
You only see what your torchlight reaches, five tiles around you, and places you have already walked stay on the map as dim memory. Nothing behind a wall is visible, so every corner is a surprise.
Lighting a torch lets you see eight tiles for 90 turns, enough to spot monsters first and decide whether to fight or avoid them. A map scroll reveals every room, corridor and the stairs on the current floor, and the minimap in the top right shows everything you have seen so far.
What monsters are there?
The deeper you go, the tougher they get: slimes, bats and rats on the first floors, then skeletons, spiders, goblins and ghosts, and a dragon on floor 10. Each one behaves differently, so one tactic does not fit all.
| Monster | Habit |
|---|---|
| Slime | Moves only every other turn. Hit and step back and it never touches you |
| Bat | Flutters off in a random direction about half the time |
| Rat | Weak but bites hard, and they come in groups |
| Skeleton | High defense. A dagger barely scratches it |
| Spider | Leaps two tiles every other turn and catches up fast |
| Goblin | Hits hard but drops gold when defeated |
| Ghost | Passes through walls, and one attack in three goes right through it |
| Dragon | Breathes fire when you line up with it. Attack from the side |
When should I use potions and scrolls?
Tap them in the bag at the bottom or press 1 to 5. A potion heals half your HP, bread fills your belly, a torch widens your sight, and scrolls either teleport you or reveal the map. Using an item takes a turn, so expect a hit if a monster is standing next to you.
- Weapons and armor: dagger, sword and axe add 2, 4 and 6 attack; leather and chain mail add 2 and 4 defense. Stepping on a better piece equips it right away.
- Ring of mending: while worn, HP regenerates three times faster. There is one somewhere below floor 4.
- Key and chest: the chest is locked until you pick up the key on the same floor. Inside is gold and one gift item.
- Merchant: a wandering merchant waits on floors 3 and 7. Spend your gold on potions, bread, torches or the next tier of gear.
How does hunger work?
Your belly empties a little every turn, and once it is empty you lose HP every third turn. One loaf lasts a long while, so grab one per floor and eat only after the warning appears, since eating while full is a waste.
As long as you are not starving, you regain 1 HP every nine turns. Waiting with Space in an empty room heals you without potions, but your belly keeps emptying while you rest, so you cannot wait forever.
How do I avoid traps?
Spike traps and pit holes are invisible until stepped on, but you spot them about one time in three when passing right next to them. A discovered trap is drawn on the map and tap to walk routes avoid it automatically.
Spikes hurt more the deeper you are, and a pit drops you to the next floor slightly injured. Falling is not always bad: in a hurry it can be a shortcut.
What is Today's dungeon?
Press Today's dungeon on the title screen and everyone gets the same map, monsters and treasure for that day. A new dungeon appears when the date changes.
Share result makes a picture card with your floor and score, and the link that comes with it lets a friend try the exact same dungeon. Your best score and deepest floor are saved in this browser.
Tips for going deeper
- Fight in corridors. In the middle of a room monsters surround you; in a corridor they come one at a time.
- Step back once. Strike right after a monster steps next to you and you get the first hit. Against slow slimes, hit and retreat and you never take damage.
- Drink below 40% HP. When the potion slot glows yellow, it is time.
- Level up on floors 1 to 3. Clearing the weak monsters makes the rest easier, but hunger means you cannot linger on one floor forever.
- Flank the dragon. Standing in line with it means fire. Circle in diagonally and attack from the side.
Controls
- Phone: tap a tile to walk there along known paths; walking stops when a monster comes into view. Swipe to step one tile, or swipe toward a monster to attack. Use items with the bag buttons at the bottom.
- Keyboard: arrows, WASD or the numpad to move, Space or period to wait a turn, 1 potion, 2 bread, 3 torch, 4 teleport, 5 map. Esc closes the merchant window.
Dying means starting over: that is the roguelike rule. In return every dungeon is brand new, and what you learned last run stays with you.